Remember those days of getting all dolled up to go out with your girlfriends or with a group of friends to celebrate a birthday or just a fun night out? Remember those nights of wearing heels so high that you towered over even the tallest of bouncers around? Remembers those nights of going out without a worry in the world other than making sure you had a safe ride and wouldn't have a headache the next day?

Well, welcome to motherhood.

That shit has all changed.

Okay, okay so not completely.

Or I suppose it's more appropriate to say that for some that has changed a lot; for some it hasn't changed much and for some of us, it is just on pause. Prior to having a baby, I wasn't one to go out every weekend, but together with my friends and our husbands we had our fair share of fun nights. Fast forward to present day, and this mama had her first night out dancing with her best girl friends in over two years (something I LOVE and had been dying to do).

I should probably put out a disclaimer that I am

that

girl who is always in the front by the band dancing my booty off (hey, I'm a dancer, I can't

not

move to music). I'm the girl who'll go up and dance with the guys trying to break dance and I'm the girl who'll moonwalk across the floor to a good MJ song (

sometimes

).

And this is all without alcohol.

But this time?

This time as a mother there were some differences.

Prior to motherhood, we don't have to check our phone every ten seconds while out with friends. But when daddy is home with a sleeping baby who wakes frequently and expects mama to be there, mama will check her phone every ten seconds (okay so really every five minutes). We may even escape our night early out of fear that our child is crying for us and daddy (or grandma) isn't telling us so we can enjoy ourselves.

That thought gives me shivers.

Now let's talk about the ensemble.

For this mama personally, heels lately are a thing of the past. Flat shoes are just so much more comfortable and considering it has been awhile since I really walked around in heels, there's a good chance I might would have busted my ass. So for a mama who hasn't practiced much in heels lately, flats it was.

They may not be as showstopper stunning, but I can dance better in flats anyway. Pair them with some comfortable clothes that don't reveal stretch marks and milk bags, and you're good to go.

And how about that time I went to the bar in a nursing bra? Yep, that would be me this weekend. Considering that I hardly wear nursing bras anymore, I found it humorous and ironic that I had one on at the bar. I mean,

not like anyone is going to be seeing my bra

, but the idea that I'm shaking my groove thing to "Baby Got Back" in a nursing bra is just somewhat funny to me.

Oh and we can't forget that time I had to leave the bar after being in there for only ten minutes because my little nursling woke up screaming and looking for me. Thank goodness for living close enough to run home and tend to baby before heading back out with my friends. Yea, that totally happened this weekend.

I almost didn't go back out.

And finally, how about that time that a young guy barely old enough to drink asked me to dance, only to hear me say

"no"

followed by

"I have a husband and a baby"

(after his question of "why you have a boyfriend or something?").

Yea I have something alright.

Let's just say my answer may have startled him into an

"ooohhhh"

followed by a quick exit which preceded my non stop laughter.

Bet he didn't see that coming.

So what did I learn about going out now as a mama? Well, I learned that my booty is still capable of twerking but it may wiggle just a little bit more. I learned that I can dance in a nursing bra and flats and still feel like a "woman" despite the gorgeous blonde next to me with heels and a stunning figure. And I learned that while being a mother brings out new worries and concerns, that we women should and can, still live our life. Going out doesn't have to mean going to a bar, but even just a night out to dinner and a movie with a group of your best girlfriends sans baby. Or even just a day of shopping in the city without the kiddos on occasion. We can and should occasionally allow ourselves to have these moments

(but hey, some of us don't need that and that's okay too)

.

I don't need to have to those moments, but it's nice to get some time away and remember the woman I was before I became a mother.

However, I like the woman I am now much more than the woman before I was a mother. Life has so much more depth, meaning and love now. I first and foremost, am a mother.

So with that being said, motherhood does completely change your life (but for the better). It's our job now to take care of someone else who completely depends on us and it's our job to make sacrifices for our families. There's no place on earth I'd rather be than with my child and my husband.; that's more fun than any night out.

Heck, I haven't even let my 14 month old sleep away from home yet.

But if the time comes to have some fun and unwind, just know that you

can

do it all in a nursing bra.

Our only photo from the night (I'm in the fedora) and these are my besties!

Sasha is the owner and founder of The Mushy Mommy, a natural mother and baby boutique and The Mushy Mommy Village. She is a SAHM who works hard at living as minimal and unprocessed as possible, but never claims perfection. Her mission is to inspire, encourage, enlighten and empower mothers all over to feel good about their choices, to make healthy choices and to enjoy motherhood and all of its beauty and chaos.

Perhaps one of my favorite homemaking topics is always about grocery shopping and budgets! I don’t know why, but this conversation always inspires me to see how I can change my ways or it sometimes even makes me proud of being able to keep our grocery budget near the amount that we tend to.

Everyone has different ideas of what is a “good” grocery food budget and that is okay because every family has different needs and wants. Honestly, there’s no right or wrong answer here in terms of budgets and where to shop - but there’s always some handy tips to share with one another.

I have found that these tips (some that are widely known tips) really do help with sticking to a clear budget and without getting distracted by extras.

Let’s face it, motherhood isn’t easy. We often need all of the unicorn magic, fairy dust and rainbows to make it through each day. But since those things don’t really exist, I’ll just settle on some good oils, lots of prayers and a cheap glass of wine.

When it comes to oils and motherhood there are countless oils we can use for our day. Whether it’s oils for emotions, oils for sleep or even oils for our teething babies, there are many ways in which we can have a tool box of support for our day to day role as MOM.

So today I am going to highlight my top 10 oils that I insist every mother should have on hand. There are so many wonderful oils and several that I have left off here, but dang these are mostly just the oils that will help bring you some peace, sleep and sanity. And a little backup for all the in betweens.

I thought I would always be that mom…

You know, the mom who had kids that ALWAYS looked super put together and stylish. Maybe not always in the fanciest of clothes (because #bills), but definitely in the cutest clothes from hip boutiques and with beautiful bows and perfect hair.

And then life happened.

And by life, I really just mean I had three kids within 5 years. Which translates to a whole lot of chaos if we’re being real here.

There are days where we leave our house and I’m thinking to myself, “Damn I hope we don’t run into anyone we know.” Or I’m already mentally preparing myself to tell whatever human I run into the truth - these heathens demanded on dressing themselves and today I didn’t care because it was one less battle to win.

Want to know more about a particular topic? Have a product you want us to try? Need advice on how to begin cloth diapering?

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DISCLAIMER: This is a support site that does not claim to make any medical claims. It simply gives personal testimonials and "possible" solutions. Please always talk to your care provider before making any decisions regarding your health or your family's.